Soldier of Hope: School Days
by Fire Slash
Summary: (Prequel/AU of Soldier of Hope). Being accepted to Hope's Peak as the Ultimate Soldier, Makoto Naegi hopes to leave his past behind and start over. As long as he doesn't share his talent, he should be able to get his wish. Sadly, with an unknown threat brewing, Naegi will be forced to take up arms once more and become the Soldier of Hope needed to save the world...
1. Chapter 1: A Soldier's Arrival

**Author's note: Hi everyone, Fire Slash here and welcome to my new story. So I've had this story in mind for a while and I thought it would be good to start working on it. Basically, this will serve as a prequel to my story 'Soldier of Hope.' You don't really need to read it to understand this fic though. Speaking of 'Soldier of Hope,' I have half of the next chapter done, but I needed some motivation to keep working, hence why this story exists. Also, I want you to know that this story will not only serve as a prequel, but an alternate timeline of 'Soldier of Hope' as well. Basically, there will be a point in the story where the path it'll take will bridge. I will be writing the chapters leading up to the events of 'Soldier of Hope' first. Once I do so, I'll go back to the bridge point and begin writing the alternate timeline where Enoshima doesn't get to spread despair, allowing everyone to live a normal school life. I'll let you know where the bridge point is once we get there. **

**Last thing before I go: I now have an Instagram. Follow me at Fire_Slash_Fanfiction. I post the update progress of my fics there and I'd love to chat with all of you. **

**Well, i've said all that I wanted to. Let's get to the story. Review and enjoy :-).**

0000

_If you presented Makoto Naegi to any random individual, the first thing they would do is make a remark about how painfully average he looked. After all, he had no defining traits which would make him stand out in public, except for the fact that he was rather short for a high school boy. However, underneath all that plainness hid the most dangerous person alive, the one dubbed the Ultimate Soldier. Having mastery over various types of weaponry, hand to hand combat, and full knowledge of the human anatomy, Naegi was certainly someone you do not want to mess with, unless you have a death wish._

_As a young boy, Naegi was always fascinated with war. Whenever his parents would watch war related movies, the young boy would sit through them, not cringing at any of the gory scenes. Originally his parents would prevent him from watching, but Naegi proved to be way too stubborn for them to constantly deal with him. As such, they eventually allowed him to sit through the movies._

_At the ripe age of seven, Naegi begged his parents to let him take judo and kendo, wanting to increase his fighting capabilities. Curious as to why he wanted to learn how to fight, Naegi told them that he wanted to be like his favorite war heroes. While his response caused eyebrows to be raised, his parents eventually gave in, allowing their son to take classes. Much to their and his masters' surprise, Naegi was an extremely quick learner in the arts of fighting, having mastered enough techniques to beat those twice as big as him in only a year._

_When he was eleven years old, the Naegi family went on vacation to Europe for summer vacation. However, during the break, Naegi went missing. Unknown to his parents and sister, he had begun to do research about a mercenary group known as Fenrir before the break began. Having known the group would be in Europe, Naegi was the one to suggest going to Europe in the first place, an idea his parents agreed upon. Having joined the group, Naegi was taught how to use firearms and melee weapons, all while his parents and sister were searching frantically for him. Impressed with Naegi's skill, they sent the boy out on several missions, somewhat expecting the worst from the young boy. However much to their surprise, Naegi came back from all of his missions unharmed. When his entire squadron went down, the boy was still able to carry out the missions with some success._

_Three days before his final year of middle school started, he returned home and was greeted by his crying family, eager to see their son alive. Sadly, Naegi was still grounded for sneaking away… _

_Despite all the hardships he faced during his time with Fenrir (including having to cope with the fact that the reason he became a soldier was due to childish ignorance), some good did come out of joining the group. His talents as a soldier would lead him to experience some of the best years of his life… _

0000

Hope's Peak Academy, a school praised for being one of the best schools in the entire world. Receiving their funding from the Japanese government, the school prepares their students for the future with state of the art facilities and faculty members who have specialized experience with the subjects they teach. To get accepted into this school, there are two requirements you must achieve. First, you must be entering high school. Second, you must be the best at what you do. These talented kids, known as ultimates, were who society saw as the future leaders of the world...though some of them were a bit eccentric. After all, Hope's Peak acknowledged various talents, ranging from simple (such as dancing and cooking) to the completely bizarre (can you believe they currently have the head of a Yakuza clan in their school and were thinking of adding another gang leader to this year's batch of freshmen?).

As one might expect, their decision to admit certain students to their school was sometimes met with controversy, but the headmaster of Hope's Peak didn't care. Jin Kirigiri believed that adding these students would help others gain insight of the lives these controversial students lived.

However, the current potential candidate he was looking over was seriously testing his way of thinking.

"I'm telling you, this kid's more than qualified to attend," the school's scout Koichi Kizakura told him, an open file sitting on the desk separating the two. In it were details about a young boy named Makoto Naegi. While Naegi had the appearance of an ordinary boy, seeing as the scout of Hope's Peak was vouching for him, the headmaster knew there was more to him.

Glancing at the file once more, Jin frowned. "I...don't know…"

Kizakura rolled his eyes. "If you're worried about him being dangerous, you gotta remember that we've accepted dangerous people in the past."

"None of them have a death count even remotely as big as his," Jin countered. "Four hundred confirmed kills and about one hundred possible ones… that's more than ten times the amount of people killed by the infamous serial killer Genocider Jack. Might I add that this was all done during one summer break?"

"He's a soldier, that's what he does," Kizakura said, having no issue with how many deaths were caused by Naegi. "It's not like he's a complete monster. Just look at what he's like outside of a killing machine. A fearless leader, tactician, and 'the sweetest boy you'll ever meet.' You won't believe how many times I've heard this from both Fenrir and from civilians who've met the boy."

"I wouldn't trust anything said about him by a mercenary group like Fenrir," Jin deadpanned. "As for the others, do they even know of Naegi's time with Fenrir?"

"Nope. From what I can gather, the boy's kept that part of his life a secret from everyone. I'm pretty sure his family knows, though I haven't interviewed them."

Jin took another look at the file, a frown forming on his face. "I'm still not sure we should let someone like that in this place…"

"Boss, trust me when I say that you will regret not accepting him," Kizakura said, uncharacteristically serious. "This kid, despite his talent, is what we need at Hope's Peak."

"You seem really eager about this one," Jin replied, thinking to himself.

"I am. This entire meeting, I've done something I hardly ever do just to get you to accept him."

Tilting his head in confusion, Jin began thinking of what Kizakura was doing differently from the other times he's advertised for a kid. Eventually, it clicked and the man felt so dumb that he didn't notice it before. "You're...not drunk…"

"Bingo. I did most of my research about him sober as well."

Kizakura not being drunk was something Jin only ever saw once in his life. The man was always plastered, somehow being able to do his work in such a state. How this was, he didn't know. All he did know was that Naegi must really be a special guy to get Kizakura to research and vouch for him without taking a swing of alcohol. "Damn...you really are serious about this. Fine, we'll let him in, but if anything happens, you'll be held responsible."

"Gotcha." Having convinced the headmaster, the scout took out a bottle of wine and began drinking. "Like I said, he may be a killer, but he's what Hope's Peak needs now more than ever."

0000

"I can't believe this is happening…" Makoto Naegi said as he stared at Hope's Peak. Today was his first day of school and the boy was nervous. Yes, despite having fought in countless battles where his life was endangered, Naegi was nervous about going to school. The boy did have a big reason for this though, his background. Unlike most of his classmates who were famous for their talents, Naegi made sure to keep his on the low. Even the forums which were created to talk about the students admitted to Hope's Peak had nothing on him. Only his family knows of his past and he planned on it staying this way. After all, how would everyone react if they found out that the 'Ultimate Soldier' was among them? For his sake, he simply decided that he was going to spend his time at Hope's Peak as an ordinary boy. Thankfully, it wasn't hard for him seeing as if you removed his talent, he was a normal boy otherwise. Sure, he was a bit reclusive due to his time with Fenrir, but his interests and hobbies besides anything military related were as basic as one could be. Other than his past and the skills he developed as a result, his relatively high optimism and kind heart were the only unique features about him.

'Hiding my talent shouldn't be too hard…' the boy thought to himself. 'Unless I have an attack in class, I should be good. I doubt anything would trigger one anyways.'

As one might expect from a young boy who had killed others, Naegi suffered from PTSD attacks. While he was the Ultimate Soldier, he was a human first, and not having experienced any tragedies beforehand, the battles he's fought in were enough to scar him. The boy honestly found it strange how these attacks never happened while he was still with Fenrir. Thankfully, he has yet to have one in public. Only at his home did he have them and it was mainly when he wakes up. Even if he was dorming at the school, it wasn't like anyone would hear him or spontaneously enter the room. According to his research, the dorms were soundproof.

Taking a deep breath in and exhaling loudly, Naegi decided he had enough of standing outside the building. "Alright, let's do this." Steeling his nerves, the boy began to make his first steps towards the next three years of his life. 'You know, now that I think about it, I think my social skills could use some work. At least I know for a fact some of my classmates are nice people after looking them up on the forums. I'm pretty sure they won't mind a little awkwardness on my end as long as I'm not a creep.'

0000

As soon as Naegi went inside the building, two girls took his spot in front of the building. One of them was the Ultimate Fashionista, Junko Enoshima. Enoshima was one of the most well known people in Japan, having taken the fashion industry by storm with her impressive modeling prowess. Despite being in the spotlight often, Enoshima's personal life was a mystery, no one knowing anything about the girl. Her fans didn't even know she has a twin sister, Mukuro Ikusaba. Why they have different last names was honestly a mystery in itself, a mystery neither sister was willing to shed light on.

While Enoshima had the luxury of having quite the grand title, Ikusaba was simply accepted to Hope's Peak as the Ultimate Lucky Student. Each year, Hope's Peak held a raffle with the names of all the non-ultimates heading to highschool. Whoever was drawn would be sent an invitation to attend the school as the Ultimate Lucky Student. Supposedly, Hope's Peak saw luck as a talent worth studying, hence why they held the raffle every year.

Ironically, Ikusaba did seem to possess a strange amount of luck, always running into means of survival and making money. Before Enoshima was scouted for her modeling capabilities, the twins lived on the streets. During this period, Ikusaba played the role of caretaker, becoming a street rat to keep them alive. If it wasn't for Ikusaba's luck, the two might be worse for wear.

"Hope's Peak, the place built to foster hope," Enoshima narrated to herself, writing in a small notepad. Taking one glance at the building, she scoffed. "How disgusting."

Mukuro hummed in agreement, not wanting to upset her sister. The lucky student knew how much her sister despised hope and adored despair. Having an extremely powerful analytical mind, the model has the ability to predict events which have yet to happen and determine someone's character just by looking at them. According to her, hope was too predictable while despair was chaotic, hence why she loved despair. Ikusaba didn't really care about either, all she wanted was for her sister to be happy.

"Ugh, let's get this opening ceremony over with," the model groaned. Glancing at the notepad in her hand, Enoshima tossed it to Ikusaba. "I'm bored of narrating. You can keep that. It's just as useless as you are."

Most would've tossed an insult back if they were in the lucky student's shoes, but Ikusaba's loyalty to her sister made her not care about any insults thrown her way by the younger twin. As such, she simply settled for following her inside the building. She certainly wasn't looking forward to the long ceremony that was about to commence…

0000

'Wow… that took longer than I thought it would,' Naegi thought to himself as the opening ceremony concluded. What the assembly was about, Naegi couldn't tell other than the fact that the school's guidelines were read and that everyone was given their Electro-IDs. The Electro-IDs were basically small tablets which students used for identification. They also had a mini-map of the school, something Naegi thought was neat. Other than the information about the Electro-IDs, the only parts he paid attention to were when the headmaster mentioned how classes weren't mandatory and how everyone should spend the rest of the day unpacking in their dorms once the assembly was finished.

Once the ceremony was over, Naegi flew out, desperately wanting to be anywhere else. Having been in the auditorium for what felt like three hours really got to the boy.

Upon entering his room, the soldier was greeted with a light red room; complete with a bathroom, small trash can, closet, surveillance camera, and a bureau. In the middle of the room were the bags he had sent to the school ahead of time, them being filled with clothes and school supplies.

Thankfully, the unpacking process didn't take long. In about half an hour, Naegi was able to neatly organize his clothes and supplies. All that was left was his duffle bag. Unzipping the bag by a small amount, Naegi took a peep inside. What he saw was a rifle, some knives, his lucky pistol (which not only had his initials carved into it, but was the first ever weapon he used during his time at Fenrir), and ammo for the guns. The fact Naegi was even allowed to bring such weaponry to school shocked him when he first got the letter detailing this alongside his acceptance letter.

'Dear Makoto Naegi,' it read, 'as you know, Hope's Peak is dedicated to giving the talented someplace where they can hone their gifts. As such, students are allowed to bring items which would normally not be allowed in a school environment. Seeing as you are the Ultimate Soldier, you are allowed to bring as much weaponry as you want, but there are some rules you must follow. First off, no explosives. Secondly, you are only allowed to use your weapons in the school's dojo. We have other students who go there to practice their aim or skills with a melee weapon. Finally, when using the gym to train, you must sign in and let the supervisor know what you plan on practicing. Hopefully you follow these rules. It would be a shame to have to kick you out. From, the board of Hope's Peak.'

"That's fair," the boy mumbled under his breath, having remembered the letter. He was just glad he had a safe place where he could practice his skills. Even after his time as a soldier, Naegi made sure to keep practicing his skills so he would never lose them, both the physical ones and the academic ones.

Gently placing his duffle bag inside his closet, the boy kicked off his shoes and sat on his bed. Tomorrow was the first day of classes and he wanted to be well rested…

0000

The first day of classes was not how he expected it would be. While this was Hope's Peak, Naegi was expecting something more tame for his first homeroom class, not what he ended up experiencing.

"Mornin' class," Kizakura slurred before taking another sip of his flask. It didn't take a genius to know he had snuck alcohol inside. "The name's Kizakura and I'll be your homeroom teacher this year."

'How did someone like him get a job at Hope's Peak?' Naegi asked himself as he watched his teacher sway a bit.

"Anyways, I'm going to skip all the disciplinary bullshit I'm supposed to tell you because it's not important. Just get up there and start introducing yourselves. You'll be spending quite some time with each other, so might as well get friendly."

After taking some time to process what they had just witnessed, everyone began to introduce themselves.

"I am Kiyotaka Ishimaru," the Ultimate Moral Compass said, taking the initiative. According to Naegi's research, he was a boy of extraordinary intellect and discipline "I value the rules and studying. I hope we can enjoy a neat and orderly four years together."

"Sup! I'm Aoi Asahina, but my friends just call me Hina," the Ultimate Swimmer stated, going after Ishimaru. Naegi didn't need to look far to find information about her, the girl already being eyed as a future member of the Japanese Olympics team. "I like swimming and donuts."

The Ultimate Fanfic Writer was up next. "My name is Hifumi Yamada. 'The man who is the beginning and the end.' You can call me either one, I don't mind." From what Naegi could gather, the boy was a strong writer, being able to sell thousands of copies of his works at a single school festival.

"I am Sakura Ogami, Ultimate Martial Artist," the martial artist introduced herself. Apparently, this girl never lost a fight in her life. Naegi was honestly curious as to how well he'd be able to do against her. Like Ogami, he had a clean record, winning every fight he fought.

"Sup dudes, I'm Leon Kuwata. While I'm here due to baseball, I'm trying to become the Ultimate Musician." Like Asahina, information about Kuwata wasn't hard to find seeing as he was considered to be one of the best baseball players alive. Naegi did find it somewhat strange that he wanted to change his talent, but he understood. He'd honestly rather have a different title himself.

"Sup! The name's Yasuhiro Hagakure, but you can just call me Hiro," the Ultimate Clairvoyant said. Just by looking at him, Naegi knew he was an interesting character. After all, he was definitely older than the other students. As for his title, supposedly he has a thirty percent chance at correctly predicting the future. While it seems unimpressive, Naegi knew that if he was a member of Fenrir, his predictions would be taken seriously.

"I-I'm Chihiro Fujisaki, the Ultimate Programmer. I-I hope we can get along." While not really all that interested in the programming scene, Naegi knew how important the shy girl standing in front of him was, her being the leading force behind a technological revolution which was stirring up. Fujisaki was considered by many to be one of the most intelligent people to ever exist.

"Greetings. My name is Celestia Ludenberg, but you can just call me Celes. I am the Ultimate Gambler. Pleased to make your acquaintance." According to the online forums, Celestia Ludenberg had caused many casinos to shut down due to her gambling skills. She was considered by many to be a dangerous person, something Naegi picked up on when she did her introduction. She was definitely putting up a facade to hide her true self.

"N-not that y-you'll remember anyways, b-but I'm T-Toko Fukawa, the U-ultimate Writing Prodigy." Fukawa was a well known writer of romance novels, some of which Naegi's little sister Komaru owned. He honestly expected the writer to be a bit less fidgety.

'Wait? Why do they have two writers in this school?' Naegi wondered silently to himself as the next person went up.

"My name is Byakuya Togami, the Ultimate Affluent Prodigy." The Togami family was one of the most powerful families in the world, owning large amounts of stocks in several of the biggest businesses to exist. It is because of this that they had access to resources no one else did. "Do not treat me like I am one of you. I am on a different level completely."

"Kyoko Kirigiri, Ultimate Detective." Besides himself and this year's ultimate lucky student, the detective was the only person to not have any information about them posted online. "For those of you wondering, yes, my father is the headmaster. That's all I'm willing to say on the subject."

"The name's Mondo Oowada, Ultimate Biker Gang Leader. Nice to fucking meet you." Oowada was the leader of the biker gang known as the Crazy Diamonds. Despite the fact the gang avoided having fights where civilians were, Oowada was known for his crazy temper and how he packs quite the punch. Naegi wasn't worried about him though. If Oowada wanted to start something with him, Naegi knew that he'd be able to subdue the gang leader. Military training trumps street fighting. Sadly, this meant that he and Ogami would most likely have to be the ones to interfere if Oowada goes off the rails, them being the only ones capable of doing so. He was still a threat physically.

"Heey~ I'm Junko Enoshima, Ultimate Fashionista! Charmed aren't we?" Enoshima introduced herself with fake excitement. The girl could honestly not care about the people in her class. Thankfully, it seemed no one picked up on this fact. "Next to me is my sister."

"Hi, I'm Mukuro Ikusaba," the older twin said with an emotionless expression, trying to remain professional. "I'm this year's Ultimate Lucky Student. My place here was secured through a lottery."

Naegi could've sworn he heard some people scoff at such a claim in the background.

"I'm Sayaka Maizono, the Ultimate Idol. It's nice to meet all of you." Maizono was someone Naegi was quite familiar with, both having attended the same middle school together. Of course, they never talked, but he still found such a fact cool. Taking a quick glance at the idol, he noticed that she seemed to be staring at him. Did she perhaps recognize him from their old school? While a possibility, Naegi seriously doubted this was the case. She was the most popular girl in school and he was an average joe. No way would she remember someone like him…

When Maizono took her seat, Naegi realized that he was the only person in his class who has yet to introduce themselves. Standing up, Naegi made his way to the front of the classroom.

'Remember, no revealing my title. I signed the forms which keep my title a secret, so I don't have to worry about Kizakura blurting it out...hopefully. He is drunk…'

Taking a deep breath in, Naegi smiled at his classmates. "Hi everyone, my name's Makoto Naegi. It's nice to meet all of you. Hopefully we can all be friends…"


	2. Chapter 2: Exploring

**Author's note****: Hey everyone, FireSlash here and welcome to another chapter of Soldier of Hope: School Days. A big thank you to all who have decided to take some time out of your day to either show this story some support or simply read it. It means a lot to me. Anyways, I don't have much to say, so let's get right into the story. Review and enjoy :-)**

0000

"Well, I see no reason to keep you here any longer," Kizakura admitted, swaying a bit from his unhealthy obsession with alcohol. "There are no classes today and orientation was yesterday. See y'all in class tomorrow… at least, those who decide to show up."

"Wait sensei!" Ishimaru called out, having several questions he wanted to ask. Sadly, the drunk teacher ignored him, opting to leave the classroom instead of dealing with his students.

Watching this interaction, Naegi rubbed his head. Hope's Peak was nothing like he expected. Non-mandatory classes and drunk teachers were not what one would normally find in an 'elite' school.

Glancing at the door, the soldier noticed that most of his classmates decided to leave. Celestia was the first to go, giving everyone a polite curtsy before ditching. Togami took a glance at everyone before deciding to go as well. Fukawa scurried out of the classroom afterwards, no doubt eager to get away from everyone. Oowada grunted before slinging his back to his back, Kuwata excitedly following behind. Naegi could've sworn he heard the baseball player talking about 'stepping up his game…' whatever that meant.

"So glad I don't have to go to classes," Hagakure whispered to Yamada, the two leaving at the same time. "I really don't like studying."

"I agree," the fanfic writer mumbled back. "Now I have more time to do more important things, like living in the 2-D world."

The twins were the next to go, neither one acknowledging their classmates. Finally, Kirigiri abruptly stood up and walked out.

'Wow, they didn't waste any time," Naegi thought to himself, debating on if he should leave as well. He honestly wanted to explore the school some more, but it felt really strange leaving class without permission. Glancing at Ishimaru, Naegi couldn't help but feel bad for the rattled student. Ishimaru seemed like someone who appreciated order and what he received was the exact opposite. He personally felt obligated to ask the hall monitor for permission to leave, just to make him feel better. However, before he could do so, he felt the presence of someone approaching him.

"Hi Naegi, it's nice to see you again."

Blinking, he looked up from his desk and was met with the sight of Maizono looking down at him, a small smile plastered on her face. Deciding that it would be rude to ignore her, Naegi shot her a soft smile. "Hey Maizono, nice to meet you."

Hearing this, Maizono's smile turned into a frown. "Meet me? Don't you remember our time in middle school together?"

"Wait? You remember me?" Naegi asked, genuinely shocked that Japan's most famous idol recognized a nobody like him. "How? We never talked and I didn't do anything all that interesting…"

"That's not true. I was always hearing about all the kind things you did for everyone at our old school. I've been dying to find an excuse to talk to you, but unfortunately I was always busy with my fans."

Naegi couldn't help but blush. Who knew he had the ability to catch the attention of an idol? Honestly, the feats she was describing weren't special. All he did was help a crane that got stuck in the school's pool and defend bully victims from torment. He didn't feel like those actions had much weight to them; anyone could've done what he did.

"You'd be surprised how many people were inspired by your actions," Maizono said, startling Naegi. Did she just read his mind? "During our last year, our school felt like a totally different place after you began actively helping people."

"D-did I say all that out loud?"

"Nope. I'm psychic." Glancing at the boy's startled expression, Maizono let loose a small giggle. "Just kidding, I just have really good intuition."

'Too good if you ask me,' Naegi thought to himself. If her intuition was as powerful as she claimed, then he needed to keep his guard up around her at all times. "Makes sense. I'm guessing you have to have a sharp mind to be in the entertainment business."

"Yep." Despite her trying to hide it, Naegi managed to pick up a few traces of fear and sadness in her eyes. Why this was, he had no idea. All he knew was that he needed to change the subject. "So, no classes… you have any plans?"

"Huh, didn't expect you to be one of those guys," Maizono said with a teasing smirk. "Asking a girl out after just meeting her."

Was she trying to get him flustered? "N-no! It's nothing like that!"

"I know. I was just teasing."

"Whew." Naegi couldn't help but let loose a sigh of relief. The last thing he wanted was to be seen as a pervert. "I-I was honestly just curious. I'm thinking about using this time to check out the school so I'm not blindly running around once classes start."

"Hm, that's a good idea. Mind if I tag along?"

Having no reason to reject her, Naegi nodded. "I don't see why not."

"Oh, oh, can we come?" Turning their heads towards the right, the idol and soldier saw Asahina and Ogami make their way to them. "Ogami and I were literally just wondering what to do with all this free time.

'Seems like they've already bonded,' Naegi thought to himself before answering. "Ogami and Asahina, right? I don't mind." He then turned to the idol. "How about you Maizono?"

"Same here."

"E-excuse me, but could I come too?" Fujisaki asked, flinching as everyone began focusing on her. "I-I also want to explore the school, b-but I don't want to go alone."

"Of course," Naegi said, shooting her a comforting smile. The programmer seemed to be easily startled, so Naegi knew it would be best to take things slow when interacting with her. He then glanced at the only person in the class who hasn't asked, Ishimaru. Currently, the hall monitor was in his own little world, writing things down on a notepad like a diligent student would despite there being nothing on the board to begin with. "How about you Ishimaru? Wanna take a look around the school with us?"

The boy's eyes began sparkling, most likely as a result of witnessing people who seem to actually care about their education. "It would be my pleasure!"

"Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's go!" Wasting no time, the swimmer shot out the door, Ishimaru following shortly after.

"Asahina! Running is not welcome in a school environment!"

"Someone seems to always be full of energy," Maizono muttered under her breath as everyone watched her go.

Ogami nodded. "Indeed, as to be expected from someone with her talent."

Looking out the door, Naegi turned back to his little group. "Let's catch up to her before we lose them." With that, the group of ultimates began their little tour.

0000

Searching the school surprisingly didn't take that long. If Naegi had to guess, only an hour and a half of the day was used up. Upon seeing what the school has to offer, the soldier found himself impressed. The labs dedicated to those who excelled in the sciences were enormous, athletes had many places they could practice (including an olympic sized pool which pleased Asahina to no end), and there was a studio where the musically gifted could practice in peace.

Out of everything he saw, Naegi was most impressed with the school's dojo. Despite being indoors, there were real cherry blossoms growing inside, giving off a classic and soothing vibe. There were also various dummies and targets set up which he could use to practice his melee skills or sharpshooting. Honestly, if he could, he would move out of his dorm just to sleep in the dojo. He liked it that much, though he didn't know why. Part of him believed that it reminded him of the more peaceful life he lived before joining Fenrir while another part believed that the calmness varied differently with the chaos that was present during his stay with the mercenary group. Whether it was fondness of the past or the desire to escape it, Naegi didn't know nor was he particularly interested in finding out. He was just happy that there was somewhere like this in the school.

At the moment however, Naegi wasn't at the dojo. Instead, he was at the school's outdoor track field, wanting to do some exercise after splitting from the group. He was in the mood to run and he found the dojo to be too small for said activity.

Quickly stretching, the boy shot forwards, beginning his run. To the untrained eye, it would seem as if Naegi were a blur, moving at seemingly superhuman speeds. Truth be told, the reason he's able to run so fast is because he trained his body to be at peak human condition despite his young age. He wasn't called the ultimate soldier just because he can hold a gun.

'This is nice.' The reason Naegi adored running was because he enjoyed how the wind felt on his face as he moved. It was relaxing and allowed him to clear his mind. He was pretty sure some of the more athletic kids in his class such as Kuwata and Asahina felt something similar when they ran. It was also nice to be in his own little world at times, able to think freely without interruption. After all, who would be crazy enough to want to chase after him?

"OWARI! GET BACK HERE!"

"Make me old man!"

Of course, Naegi couldn't outrun sound. He was still human after all. However, he had to admit that whoever it was that had shouted had a lot of power behind his voice. Blinking, Naegi suddenly noticed that a tall girl with tan skin had entered the track, unaware that she had put herself in his way. Thankfully for the both of them, the soldier had managed to stop right before he could collide with her.

"Huh, you're quite fast for a little dude." The girl said with a toothy grin, seemingly oblivious as to what could've happened if the by hadn't stopped himself

"Uh, thanks?" Honestly, Naegi didn't know whether she was complimenting his speed or making fun of his height.

"No problem." Looked like it was the former. She then tilted her head as she began taking in his appearance. "Hm, I've never seen ya around. You new or something?"

"Er, yeah. I'm a freshman." It was then that he heard the sound of thunderous footsteps making its way to them. Immediately Naegi's instincts began flaring up, causing the boy to brace himself for a possible fight. Thankfully, that never happened for a green haired man that was just as massive as Sakura made his way to the track a second later, having been the cause of such noise. Looking at Owari, he grunted.

"Owari! What have I told you about running off like that?!" The man yelled. Despite his loud voice, Naegi could tell he wasn't angry at the girl, just annoyed. Just like Ishimaru, he seemed like a passionate individual.

"Meh, I got bored," the girl admitted in a carefree manner, not really picking up on the fact he was annoyed with her. "I felt like running some laps real quick."

The man pinched the bridge of his nose, signaling that this was something he had to deal with constantly. He then noticed the smaller boy, noting that he seemed to have been in the middle of using the track. "Sorry about her. She can never sit still."

"It's fine," Naegi said, raising his hands as a means to show that he wasn't angry. "She surprised me, but that was all."

The man let out a boisterous laugh in response. "HAHAHAHAHA! That's good! ANYWAYS, THE NAME'S NEKOMARU NIDAI, THE ULTIMATE TEAM MANAGER AND SOPHOMORE AT HOPE'S PEAK ACADEMY! NICE TO MEET YA!"

Naegi felt like his eardrums were going to explode. This guy's voice could probably be weaponized. And did he say he was an ultimate? As in he was still attending school? Nidai looked older than Hagakure and the fortune teller was left back three times (how he knew this was due to the online forms. Hagakure was certainly not a private person). "Hi, I'm Makoto Naegi."

"PATHETIC!" The team manager yelled. If Naegi were anyone else, he would've been startled by such an outburst. "TRY AGAIN! THIS TIME WITH MORE AUTHORITY!"

"I AM MAKOTO NAEGI! PLEASURE TO MEET YOU!" Despite not being as loud as the older boy, his voice was filled with assertiveness and authority, one that could make even the most rowdy individual pay attention to him.

"MUCH BETTER!"

"Didn't know you had that much power inside of ya," Owari remarked, honestly surprised by the smaller boy. "I'm Akane Owari, ultimate gymnast."

"NAEGI! WHAT IS YOUR TALENT! SURLY A BOY LIKE YOU HAS ONE OF EXCELLENCE!"

Naegi secretly winced, knowing it was only a matter of time that someone would ask him about his ultimate title. Thankfully, he had made a coverup story in case of such an event. "Sorry, the principal said I can't share my talent with anyone. It's for my own safety. I'm not a bad guy though, so you don't have to worry about me hurting anyone."

Surprisingly, Nidai accepted the lie with no hesitation. "I UNDERSTAND! You don't seem like someone who would provoke a fight."

"Wait, you know how to fight?" Owari asked Naegi, her full attention now aimed at him.

Naegi bashfully rubbed his head, not one to brag about his physical strength. "Yeah."

"Fight me!"

Did he just hear her right? "Wha-"

"OWARI, STOP BOTHERING THE FRESHMAN!" Nidai shouted at her

"Aw," the girl pouted. "I want some new opponents. The others in our class refuse to fight me"

Rolling his eyes, Nidai turned back to Naegi. "Sorry about her. She just loves to fight."

Naegi nodded before remembering something. "If you want Owari, I can introduce you to one of my classmates, Sakura Ogami."

"Is she strong?"

"She's the ultimate martial artist."

Hearing this caused the girl to become visibly excited. "Ultimate martial artist? Sounds like my kind of girl! Take me to her!"

"I have no idea where she is right now," Naegi admitted. "But next time I see her, I'll send her your way."

"Sweet! Thanks Naegi!"

"No problem."

"HAH! WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT?!" Nidai said with a boisterous laugh. "OWARI REMEMBERED YOUR NAME. SHE ONLY DOES SO WITH STRONG PEOPLE."

"Of course I'd remember his name," Owari exclaimed. "I still want to fight him! He looks so strong despite being so short."

Ignoring the fact that she commented on his height yet again, Naegi shot her a small smile. "Maybe another time."

"Hell yeah!"

Glancing at his watch, Nidai's eyes widened. "SHIT! WE'RE BEHIND ON OUR TRAINING! IT WAS NICE MEETING YOU NAEGI BUT WE MUST GOOOOOOO!"

"Later," Owari simply said before the two athletes ran off to who-knows-where to do whatever training they were doing before Owari found the boy. Naegi simply blinked as he watched them leave.

"Nice people. A bit strange and loud, but still, nice people."

0000

When he was done running, Naegi made his way to his room to take a shower. Afterwards, he simply wandered around the building, curious to see if there were any rooms he had missed. During this search, he did end up running into Ogami and told her about the gymnast and how she wanted to fight her. With the girl saying that she'd do it, the soldier continued his search before heading to the kitchen to get something to eat. Seeing that it was pretty late, no one was around, but he still managed to get some fresh food cooked by the ultimate chef. To say he tasted anything this good before would be an outright lie and a crime against humanity. Sadly, the chef wasn't anywhere around, which sucked seeing as Naegi wanted to thank him for existing. Like Owari and Nidai, the chef was probably a nice person as well.

Done for the day, Naegi went back to his room and changed into his sleeping wear. Opening his drawer, Naegi pulled out a bottle of pills. According to his psychiatrist, these things were supposed to help him sleep at night and deal with his PTSD. He honestly didn't know how much it helped as his sleep schedule was still garbage and attacks were pretty common even after increasing the dosage five times, but he wasn't about to question the advice of a trained professional.

Shrugging his shoulders, he took a pill and swallowed it before going to bed. He wanted to wake up early tomorrow so he could practice with his guns. The only reason he doesn't do it now was due to his psychologist mentioning that practicing right before going to bed might affect how much nightmares he receives over the night. Yeah, after the war, his parents immediately signed him up for therapy, something he was grateful for as it actually does somewhat help him cope with his time at Fenrir.

Yawning, Naegi shut off his light and fell asleep. Tomorrow is another day.

0000

"_Sometimes I look at myself in the mirror and all I see is a monster. A monster who happens to look like a human. Everyday I wonder to myself if the emptiness I felt when killing was natural. Humans are supposed to have feelings. Soldiers are supposed to disregard them. Villains warp them for their desires. Monsters lack them. At least, that was what I've been told…_

_So then tell me, what is the difference between what I do and what villains and monsters do? I really need to know. I want to eventually look at myself in the mirror and say that I am a human, but how can I when the only reflection I see is that of a devil hunting it's prey. If you're somehow reading this, I beg of you, tell me that I belong! Tell me that monsters can be taught how to be human. Tell me that it's finally okay to look in the mirror, that the bad guy doesn't exist. Tell me that it's actually me who's inspiring people and not the person they think I am! Eh, who am I kidding? Anyone who reads this will find out who I am and shun me. After all, humans don't accept monsters into their mists, and rightfully so…" _

0000

**Author's note 2: Another reason I chose to write this story is to explore a Soldier Naegi's character in a way that Soldier of Hope can never. Soldier of Hope has Naegi fighting to show why he's a symbol of hope while this story details the steps he takes into becoming a symbol in the first place. Also, in Soldier of Hope, the killing game takes the front stage while in this fic, the trauma that a young soldier must constantly be faced with is explored into detail, hence the ending of this chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3: Danger Incoming

**Author's Note:**** Hey everyone, welcome back to "Soldier of Hope School Days." I'm glad to see that I've managed to entertain you all and I want to thank you for your continued support. If you haven't already, I suggest you follow my IG ( Fire_slash_fanfiction). I post updates as to when I plan on updating stories and is the best place to reach me now that I no longer get notified of PMs for some reason.**

**Anyways, that's enough out of me. Let's get right to the story. Review and enjoy :-)**

0000

_**WAKE UP!**_

"!"

His body shooting upwards, Naegi practically leapt off his bed and hid behind it, scanning his room for possible threats. Immediately, his soldier instincts began kicking in as he attempted to think of a way to combat the threat approaching him. Sadly, his pistol was in his drawers on the other side of his bed, meaning he couldn't rely on it for aid. Thankfully, he hid his switchblade underneath his bed, so he had a weapon on hand. Clutching it, Naegi was preparing to stab whatever was approaching. Typically, Naegi was confident in his ability to take out whatever threats he sensed or discovered, but there was a problem this time; for whatever reason, his body was acting up. His breath was rapid as he felt himself suffocating. His vision was blurry and his body was rapidly shaking. It was as if his room had been bombed with some sort of chemical that was disorienting him, but he could neither see or smell anything...

*BANG!*

Jolting upwards, Naegi shot another glance around his room. The loud sound that had reverberated around his room was most certainly a gunshot. Whoever was here, they were dangerous…

"Guh!"

It was at this point when Naegi's body started to get worse. His vision began to blur even further, a battlefield filled with soldiers flickering in his room briefly before returning to his normal state. Breathing began suddenly harder to accomplish as Naegi felt himself being choked by some unknown force far stronger than anything he ever experienced. As all this was going on, he felt something large approaching him. Pointing his switchblade in front of him, Naegi was prepared to stab this unknown body, wanting to remove the imminent danger…

And then he blinked…

Suddenly, his body stopped shaking as his breathing returned to its normal pattern and his vision became more clear. Quietness filled his room and Naegi no longer felt any sort of presence in his room. It was at this moment that Naegi knew what had just happened to him,

"...Another attack."

Picking himself up, he recalled his switchblade and kicked it under his bed. There was no threat present, his PTSD simply kicked in.

Groaning, Naegi opened his drawer and took some pills. He really hated waking up this way…

0000

Despite classes not being mandatory, Naegi decided that he was still going to attend them. Unlike some of his other classmates, he really didn't want a career relating to his talent, so it would be best for him to get an education. What he wanted to do after Hope's Peak was something he still didn't know, but he'll figure it out later.

Yawning, he opened the door to his classroom and began scanning his surroundings. Only a handful of his classmates bothered showing up today. In the front of the room, Ishimaru was having a passionate conversation with the shy Fujisaki. In the middle of the room sat Ikusaba, all alone without her twin sister. The two made eye contact for a second and he was sure the girl was attempting to analyze him. Not wanting to be rude, he simply smiled at her, which much to his surprise, caused her to immediately look away. Unknown to the boy, a bit of red had made its way onto her cheeks. Finally, in the back of the room sat Ogami and Asahina, the fighter most likely having had to convince the swimmer to show up.

Spotting an empty seat next to one of the windows, Naegi sat down and began preparing for class, unaware that another student had just entered the room until they took a seat next to him.

"Good morning Naegi."

"Ah, morning Maizono," Naegi greeted the idol, making sure to keep his guard up around her. Maizono's sharp intuition was quite dangerous, as was proven yesterday, and her ability to mask her emotions was also nothing to scoff at. She doesn't seem to be a bad person though, but it was still best for him to keep his guard up at all times. "I'm surprised you're here honestly. I thought you'd be preparing for your upcoming concert."

"That's important, yes, but so is my education," Maizono responded. She then tilted her head on mocking confusion. "How'd you know that I have a concert coming up?" Her face then playfully lit up. "Don't tell me... you're a fan of mine?"

Naegi would be lying if he said he wasn't one, but admitting that to her outright would be somewhat embarrassing seeing as she was his classmate and all. If he encountered her after a concert or in public, sure, but something about them being classmates made admitting so a bit awkward for the already awkward teen. "I mean, I am, but my sister is a huge fan of yours as well." That wasn't a lie. Komaru was probably more of a fan of Maizono and her group. "She's always claiming to be the number one Sayaker."

Maizono pretended to be surprised. "Oh, really? Maybe I should meet her then…"

"She'd probably pass out from shock," Naegi laughed, imagining Komaru actually getting the chance to meet one of her idols.

"Well, looks like I have no choice but to meet her," Maizono said in a semi-serious tone. Whether she was actually serious or not, Naegi didn't know. "I am." Crap! He lowered his guard again. As the 'ultimate soldier,' he should be better than this. Well, at least he now had an answer.

It was then that the teacher of Naegi's first period class walked in, ending all discussions occurring in the room…

0000

"Junko, I'm back," Ikusaba said as she entered their shared dorm room. When classes ended, the lucky student immediately made a dash towards her sister. It wasn't like she had anything else to do, especially since she had no other friends besides her twin. "I took notes."

"Psh, the great Junko Enoshima has no need for your amatuer notes," the model said in a tone that seemed to be an impersonation of some sort of royal. The girl's form then began to sulk, as if depressed. "I was in the middle of something."

Glancing over her sister's shoulder, Ikusaba noticed that her sister was indeed doing something, having scribbled down multiple, seemingly unrelated, plans. None of them appeared to be for something positive. "Sorry."

Enoshima's body suddenly perked up as she adopted a 'cutesy' persona. "I forgive you. After all, you can't help that you exist."

Seemingly ignoring the insult, Ikusaba glanced at all the papers littered around their desk. "What's all this?"

"These,my dear sister, are how I'll be spreading despair," the model explained. "Soon, the world I desire will come into fruition and it will be glorious."

Glad to see that her sister was happy, Ikusaba began looking at the papers in depth, wishing to experience the same happiness Enoshima was feeling, but the model slapped her in response.

"No looking! Only I'm allowed to look at them! Can't have others knowing about this."

Ikusaba shot her sister a somewhat offended look. The reason for it wasn't because Enoshima slapped her though, it was because Enoshima seriously thought Ikusaba would betray her or something. "I would never tell anyone."

"You say that, but when push comes to shove, who knows how you'll react." Ikusaba tried to open her mouth to retort, only to shut it as she caught a bucket thrown by her sister. "Fill this up, I got to burn these."

"Do you not need them?" Ikusaba asked, confused as to why she was burning what seemed to be important papers.

"I already have them memorized," Enoshima said with a shrug. Honestly, Ikusaba forgot how scary her sister's mental prowess were even though she's seen it in action multiple times. Pulling out a lighter from a drawer, Enoshima crossed her arms in annoyance. "Where the hell's my water? As much as I'd love to burn this place down, there's a thing called 'playing it smart.' Not sure if you heard of it…"

"Sorry." Running into the bathroom, the lucky student began to do as she was told, not wanting to upset the one person she cares about.

0000

When classes finished up, Naegi decided to take a walk around the campus of Hope's Peak. Despite having been there for almost two days now, the boy never bothered looking around outside the main building. Thirty minutes later, he ended up realizing why he never did so as other than the school's large track field, there was nothing of interest. Well, there was the reserve course building, but there wasn't anything there for him. It was nice to find out where it was though in case he made friends in the reserve course.

Sitting down on a bench, Naegi decided to glance around the campus, enjoying the tranquility of the world around him. Ever since he left Fenrir, Naegi had developed a habit of watching peaceful scenes occurring around him. It always helped him relax himself. Closing his eyes, Naegi began to take in the sounds of the wind blowing, only for them to widen as he detected something which unnerved him. Searching around, the boy was surprised to see that he couldn't find anything. Even so, he could still feel someone watching him. Whoever this person was, they were emitting a sense of danger unlike Naegi has ever felt before. This person's aura dwarfed any person he's met and any army he's faced. Hell, even Ogami, who was probably the most dangerous person he's ever met, didn't have an aura this intense.

Heightening his awareness of his surroundings, Naegi continued surveying the area, desperate to find who was causing him such discomfort. Unfortunately, he couldn't find anyone. Well, that was a lie. A few seconds after he began his search, he ended up spotting a girl with her hair styled in horns. As luck would have it, she seemed to notice him as well. Her face lighting up, she shot forwards towards him with impressive speed. If it wasn't for the fact that she seemed to be happy, Naegi would be preparing for a fight.

"Hi!" The girl said once she stopped in front of him. "I'm looking for my friend. He has an ahoge just like yours, but bigger and less cuddly looking. Have you seen him?"

"Uh, no…" Naegi admitted, somewhat surprised at how fast this girl can talk. It was at this moment when he realized that he no longer felt like he was being watched. It seems like the girl's presence caused whoever was watching him to leave. "Sorry."

"Aw," the girl pouted. "Ibuki sucks at hide-and-seek, but he wanted to play. Well, it was more like 'Ibuki, don't follow me,' but whenever he says that, he's trying to be an edgy loner."

Naegi blinked. What the hell did he get himself into?

"Oh! Ibuki never introduced herself," the girl said before clearing her throat as if she was about to sing a song. Sure enough, that's what she ended up doing. "'I,' 'Buki,' 'Mio,' 'Da!' Put it together and what do you get Ibuki Mioda, ultimate musician!"

'Ultimate musician… Maizono would definitely be interested in meeting her,' Naegi thought to himself before introducing himself. "I'm Makoto Naegi, nice to meet you."

Mioda's face lit up as if she recognized his name. "Ah! You're that kid Owari said she wanted to fight! You look a little small though…"

'Why does everyone pick on my height?' Naegi thought to himself as he frowned. He then realized that he forgot to let Sakura know about Owari's challenge. 'Hopefully she shows up to class tomorrow…'

Mioda's face suddenly scrunched up as she appeared to be trying to remember something. Eventually, her face lit up once again. "Oh, Ibuki still needs to find her friend. It was nice meeting you Naegi!"

"It was nice meeting you-" Naegi tried to say, only for the musician to dart off in search of her friend. "...too. You know what? I think that's enough time outside."

Walking back to his dorm, Naegi began to think over some stuff. Who was the one that caused his senses to flare up? What did they want? Why did they leave when Mioda showed up? Was this person the friend Mioda was looking for?

Naegi sighed. It's only been the second day of classes and his head already hurts…

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**Author's Note 2: Some of you may have questions about that last scene. Don't worry, all will be explained eventually.**


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